Oak Lawn neighborhood on alert after recent crimes

Fears that another wave of attacks in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood have increased after an uptick in assault and robbery reports this week.

“Take Back Oak Lawn” was formed after more than a dozen attacks back in 2015. They have issued a crime advisory because of the recent attacks.

Some victims say their experience was enough to keep them away from the neighborhood for a while. But others in the community say they won't let another string of attacks similar to the ones that started in 2015 threaten them again.                      

Since the weekend, Dallas police have responded to at least two attacks in oak lawn.

“There's been this kind of general sense of tension, particularly if you go back and look at what we had a couple of years ago when we had attacks,” said Rafael McDonnell with the Resource Center.

Albert Garcia works in Oak Lawn and says the attacks are a reminder to be aware of your surroundings.

“I run straight to the car,” he said. “And I park close and in well-lit areas.”

Early Sunday, friends out on Cedar Springs and Throckmorton say they were about to go home when a group of three people attacked them. They didn't want to go on camera, but one victim suffered a large cut on his head, a broken nose, and two black eyes. Dallas police say one of the attackers is known to the victim.

Two victims were also robbed at gunpoint outside The Tin Room on Hudnall Street Tuesday night. One victim says someone held a gun to his neck and then under his chin.

Take Back Oak Lawn released a crime advisory alleging four attacks, but Dallas police could only verify two. They also responded to a robbery call on Maple Street Wednesday morning, but they couldn't find a victim.

“We've had a lull here in Oak Lawn right now from the stuff we had earlier,” McDonnell said. “And I want to make sure nobody is getting complacent because we haven't had any attacks like this and the number of attacks in a while.”

The Resource Center says victims in the recent attacks reached out to them for help immediately. They hope the recent attacks won't be similar to the string of more than a dozen in the neighborhood in 2015 which prompted increased police patrols.

“No, it's not going to happen again,” McDonnell said. “Because we're not going to let it, as a community, happen again.

Dallas police encourage anyone who was the victim of a crime to make sure to file a report. The Resource Center says they're talking with DPD about what they can do to make the neighborhood safer.